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The books are listed by publication date with the most recent at the top.

Flight Lines: Tracking the Wonders of Bird Migration

Mike Toms

2017

"The BTO’s Flight Lines project, a joint initiative with the Society of Wildlife Artists (SWLA), highlights through art and narrative the challenges that migrant birds face and brings to a wider audience the research and conservation work that is being done to help them. By pairing artists, storytellers and photojournalists with the researchers and volunteers studying our summer migrants, the book tells the stories of our migrant birds, and the work being done to secure a future for them. Includes artwork by SWLA member artists Carry Akroyd, Kim Atkinson, Federico Gemma, Richard Johnson, Szabolcs Kokay, Harriet Mead, Bruce Pearson, Greg Poole, Dafila Scott, Jane Smith, John Threlfall, Esther Tyson, Matt Underwood, Michael Warren, Darren Woodhead and others."

Bird Migration Across the Himalayas: Wetland Functioning Amidst Mountains and Glaciers

Editor: Herbert HT Prins, Tsewang Namgail

2017

"Birds migrating across the Himalayan region fly over the highest peaks in the world, facing immense physiological and climatic challenges. The authors show the different strategies used by birds to cope with these challenges. Many wetland avian species are seen in the high-altitude lakes of the Himalayas and the adjoining Tibetan Plateau, such as Bar-Headed Geese. Ringing programmes have generated information about origins and destinations, and Bird Migration Across the Himalayas is the first to present information on the bird's exact migratory paths. Capitalising on knowledge generated through satellite telemetry, the authors describe the migratory routes of a multitude of birds flying over or skirting the Himalayas. The myriad of threats to migratory birds and the wetland system in the Central Asian Flyway are discussed, with ways to mitigate them. Bird Migration Across the Himalayas will inform and persuade policy-makers and conservation practitioners to take appropriate measures for the long-term survival of this unique migration."

Long Hops: Making Sense of Bird Migration

Mark Denny

2016

"Long Hops explains the science of bird migration in accessible language-from the aeronautics of bird flight to the newly unraveled mysteries of their magnetic compasses. The author provides a sideways look, from the perspective of an experienced physicist, at the amazing long-distance migration journeys of many bird species. Birds are breathtaking works of engineering as well as beautiful creatures possessed of spectacular capabilities. ..... The mysteries of migration are being revealed to us via recent research aided by technology - this book makes an important contribution to explaining these developments, with original observations and transparent explanations of one of nature's most fascinating phenomena."

Birds Never Get Lost

Colin Pennycuick and Sandy Pennycuick

2016

"Birds fly very efficiently, doing little work themselves, and gaining large amounts of energy from the atmosphere. Whether on local flights or migration, they have the freedom to fly anywhere they please. It is because of this that scientists have long been fascinated with how birds remain the ultimate aviators. Birds Never Get Lost includes reports of how bird flight has been studied in laboratories, as well as by flying with them. It also provides a comprehensive background of what distinguishes birds from other flying animals, past and present, from bats to pterosaurs. This fascinating report into the science behind how birds fly and navigate will appeal to engineers, pilots and bird enthusiasts alike."

Phenological Synchrony and Bird Migration: Changing Climate and Seasonal Resources in North America

Editors: Eric Matthew Wood, Jherime L. Kellermann

American Ornithological Society / CRC Press

2015

"Bird migration is a well-researched phenological event. However, few studies in North America have investigated the effects of climate change and extreme weather on the relationships of migratory avian species and their seasonal resources. This is a critical gap in knowledge that limits our ability to prioritize management and conservation applications throughout the annual cycle. Phenological Synchrony and Bird Migration: Changing Climate and Seasonal Resources in North America explores critical linkages between migratory birds, their seasonal resources, and shifts in climate change and weather events. Gathered from projects conducted during spring or fall migration, the book covers topics such as: conservation and management considerations for migratory birds throughout the United States with respect to climate change; the relation of climate on the wintering grounds to spring migration of short- and long-distance migratory birds; and the relationships of migratory birds and their seasonal resources, and the nature of these relationships in the face of climate change and extreme weather events at stopover habitats in both spring and fall migration. With contributions from over 40 researchers, the book will help readers understand the effects of climate change on migratory birds and will provide a solid basis for further inquiry and research in this area."

The Avian Migrant: The Biology of Bird Migration

John H. Rappole

2013

"The purpose of migration, regardless of the distance involved, is to exploit two or more environments suitable for survival or reproduction over time, usually on a seasonal basis. Yet individual organisms can practice the phenomenon differently, and birds deploy unique patterns of movement over particular segments of time. Incorporating the latest research on bird migration, this concise, critical assessment offers contemporary readers a firm grasp of what defines an avian migrant, how the organism came to be, what is known about its behavior, and how we can resolve its enduring mysteries. John H. Rappole's sophisticated survey of field data clarifies key ecological, biological, physiological, navigational, and evolutionary concerns. He begins with the very first migrants, who traded a home environment of greater stability for one of greater seasonality, and uses the structure of the annual cycle to examine the difference between migratory birds and their resident counterparts. He ultimately connects these differences to evolutionary milestones that have shaped a migrant lifestyle through natural selection. Rather than catalogue and describe various aspects of bird migration, Rappole considers how the avian migrant fits within a larger ecological frame, enabling a richer understanding of the phenomenon and its critical role in sustaining a hospitable and productive environment. Rappole concludes with a focus on population biology and conservation across time periods, considering the link between bird migration and the spread of disease among birds and humans, and the effects of global warming on migrant breeding ranges, reaction norms, and macroecology."

Migration Hotspots: The World's Best Bird Migration Sites

Tim Harris

2013

"Migration Hotspots takes a look at 30 of the locations where the planet's most dramatic bird migration can be witnessed, from raptor bottlenecks such as Veracruz (Mexico) and the Strait of Messina (Italy) to places like Point Pelée (Canada) and Beidaihe (China) where spectacular falls of songbirds can take place. And from wetlands where huge numbers of waders stop over each spring and autumn to the great rarity islands of Scilly and Heligoland. Migration Hotspots: The World's Best Bird Migration Sites covers each of the world's major avian flyways and features stunning photography throughout. The geographical reasons for the importance of each hotspot are explained, with a summary of the different birds that pass through and the best times of year to see them, and an introductory chapter summarises birds' migration strategies."

The Art of Migration: Birds, Insects, and the Changing Seasons in Chicagoland

Peggy McNamara

2013

"Tiny ruby-throated hummingbirds weighing less than a nickel fly from the upper Midwest to Costa Rica every fall, crossing the six-hundred-mile Gulf of Mexico without a single stop. One of the many creatures that commute on the Mississippi Flyway as part of an annual migration, they pass along Chicago's lakefront and through midwestern backyards on a path used by their species for millennia. This magnificent migrational dance takes place every year in Chicagoland, yet it is often missed by the region's two-legged residents. The Art of Migration uncovers these extraordinary patterns that play out over the seasons. Readers are introduced to over two hundred of the birds and insects that traverse regions from the edge of Lake Superior to Lake Michigan and to the rivers that flow into the Mississippi. As the only artist in residence at the Field Museum, Peggy Macnamara has a unique vantage point for studying these patterns and capturing their distinctive traits. Her magnificent watercolor illustrations capture flocks, movement, and species-specific details. The illustrations are accompanied by text from museum staff and include details such as natural histories, notable features for identification, behavior, and how species have adapted to environmental changes. The Art of Migration follows a gentle seasonal sequence and includes chapters on studying migration, artist's notes on illustrating wildlife, and tips on the best ways to watch for birds and insects in the Chicago area."

Birds: Evolution and Behavior, Breeding Strategies, Migration and Spread of Disease

Editor: Lucas Ruiz and Franco Iglesias

2013

"In this book, the authors present current research in the study of the evolution and behavior, breeding strategies, migration and spread of disease within the bird species. Topics discussed in this compilation include sex determination in birds; structure and function of the avian respiratory system, with discussion regarding its predisposition to injury by particulates and pathogenic microorganisms; distribution and dispersion of coccidia in wild passerines of the Americas; an animal geography of the dominant urban avian scavenger in contrasting case studies; recent infectious diseases or their responsible agents recorded from Japanese wild birds; ticks on Brazilian birds; an overview of recent parasitic diseases due to helminths and arthropods recorded from wild birds, with special reference to conservation medical cases from the Wild Animal Medical Center of Rakuno Gakuen University in Japan; environmental factors that affect urban avian communities; and the impact of landscape configuration and competitors on hooded vulture necrosyrtes monarchus temminck 1823 in Southern Ghana."

Nature's Compass: The Mystery of Animal Navigation

James L Gould and Carol Grant Gould

2012

"The Goulds discuss how animals navigate, without instruments and training, at a level far beyond human talents. They explain how animals measure time and show how the fragile monarch butterfly employs an internal clock, calendar, compass, and map to commence and measure the two-thousand-mile annual journey to Mexico – all with a brain that weighs only a few thousandths of an ounce. They look at honey bees and how they rely on the sun and mental maps to locate landmarks such as nests and flowers. And they examine whether long-distance migrants, such as the homing pigeon, depend on a global positioning system to let them know where they are. Ultimately, the authors ask if the disruption of migratory paths through habitat destruction and global warming is affecting and endangering animal species. Providing a comprehensive picture of animal navigation and migration, Nature's Compass decodes the mysteries of this extraordinary aspect of natural behavior."

Passerine Migration: Stopovers and Flight

Nikita Chernetsov

2012

"Most birds cannot cover the distance between their breeding and winter quarters in one hop. They have to make multiple flights alternated with stopovers. Which factors govern the birds' decisions to stop, to stop for how long, when to resume flight? What is better – to accumulate much fuel and to make long flights for many hundreds of kilometres, or to travel in small steps? Is it necessary to find habitats similar to the breeding ones or other habitats would do? Are long migratory flights indeed so costly energetically as usually assumed? This monograph summarizes our current knowledge on the ecology of songbird migrants during migratory stopovers and on their behaviour."

Migration on Wings: Aerodynamics and Energetics

Lakshmi Kantha

Springer-Verlag

2012

"This book is an effort to explore the technical aspects associated with bird flight and migration on wings. After a short introduction on the birds migration, the book reviews the aerodynamics and Energetics of Flight and presents the calculation of the Migration Range. In addition, the authors explains aerodynamics of the formation flight and finally introduces great flight diagrams."

Wings over the Great Plains: Bird Migrations in the Central Flyway

Paul A. Johnsgard

2012

"The great North-South migratory pathway across the North American Great Plains-from the tropic wintering grounds to the high arctic breeding areas-is analyzed for the first time. Describes 114 U.S. and 21 Canadian localities of special importance to migrating birds. Discusses nearly 400 species of 50 avian families. Includes 7 maps, 49 figures and over 100 literature citations."

There and Back: A Celebration of Bird Migration

Editors: Andy Brown, Michael Warren

2011

"This book is a celebration of the phenomenon of migration, through the words and pictures of those seeped in its appreciation-of artists, regular migration-observers, scarce-migrant hunters, ringers, scientists who use satellite tags to follow migrants and of those who attempt to protect migrants during their often lengthy journeys.

A series of essays looks at migration in a diversity of animals with a deserved emphasis on birds. Examples are drawn from across the world's great migration flyways but as the book progresses, the focus narrows, first towards southern Europe and the problems faced by migrants on some of the Mediterranean islands and then to the UK where migration-watching seems to fascinate so many of us.

The book is profusely illustrated with work from some of Europe's foremost contemporary wildlife artists.

All royalties generated from the sale of this book will go to BirdLife International (Malta) to help them to continue their work in protecting migrant birds."

Animal Migration: A Synthesis

Editor: E.J. Milner-Gulland, John M. Fryxell, Anthony R.E. Sinclair

2011

"Despite the wealth of natural historical research conducted on migration over decades, there is still a dearth of hypothesis-driven studies that fully integrate theory and empirical analyses to understand the causes and consequences of migration, and a taxonomic bias towards birds in much migration research. This book takes a comparative, integrated view of animal migration, linking evolution with ecology and management, theory with empirical research, and embracing all the major migratory taxa (including human pastoralists). The scope extends beyond the target organism to consider the ecosystem-level dynamics of migration. The emphasis is on exciting new research avenues that are now opening up, whether due to advances in our understanding of migration as a biological phenomenon or through the availability of a range of new technologies."

Bird Migration

Ian Newton

Collins

2010

"The phenomenon of bird migration has fascinated people from time immemorial. The arrivals and departures of different species marked the seasons, heralding spring and autumn, and providing a reliable calendar long before anything better became available. Migration is shown by many kinds of animals, including butterflies and other insects, mammals, marine turtles and fish, but in none is it as extensively developed as in birds. The collective travel routes of birds span almost the entire globe, with some extreme return journeys covering more than 30,000 km. As a result of migration, bird distributions are continually changing - in regular seasonal patterns, and on local, regional or global scales. Migration has repeatedly prompted familiar questions, such as where birds go or come from, why do they do it, how do they know when and where to travel, and how do they find their way? In this seminal new book, Ian Newton sets out to answer these - and other - questions. The book is divided into four main sections: the first is introductory, describing the different types of bird movements, methods of study, and the main migration patterns seen around the British Isles; the second part is concerned mainly with the process of migration - with timing, energy needs, weather effects and navigation; the third with evolution and change in migratory behaviour; and the fourth with the geographical and ecological aspects of bird movements."

Bird Migration and Global Change

George W. Cox

2010

"Changes in seasonal movements and population dynamics of migratory birds in response to ongoing changes resulting from global climate changes are a topic of great interest to conservation scientists and birdwatchers around the world. Because of their dependence on specific habitats and resources in different geographic regions at different phases of their annual cycle, migratory species are especially vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. In 'Bird Migration and Global Change', eminent ecologist George Cox brings his extensive experience as a scientist and bird enthusiast to bear in evaluating the capacity of migratory birds to adapt to the challenges of a changing climate. Cox reviews, synthesizes, and interprets recent and emerging science on the subject, beginning with a discussion of climate change and its effect on habitat, and followed by eleven chapters that examine responses of bird types across all regions of the globe. The final four chapters address the evolutionary capacity of birds, and considers how best to shape conservation strategies to protect migratory species in coming decades. The rate of climate change is faster now than at any other moment in recent geological history. How best to manage migratory birds to deal with this challenge is a major conservation issue, and 'Bird Migration and Global Change' is a unique and timely contribution to the literature."

Invisible Connections: Why Migrating Shorebirds Need the Yellow Sea

Danny Rogers, Phil Battley, Brian MacCaffery, Nial Moores and Jan Lewis

2010

"Shorebird migration is one of nature's most spectacular phenomena, creating surprising and hitherto poorly understood links between countries, habitats and people. Jan van de Kam's beautiful images, together with the compelling words of his colleagues, illustrate the magnitude of the feats performed by migrating shorebirds and the vital need for the connections that bind them to habitats to be sustained. This book invites you to discover the risks inherent in a shorebird's migratory lifestyle and the additional challenges created by expanding human populations. It reveals the crucial role that the shoreline of the Yellow Sea plays in shorebird migration and highlights the need for this unique and threatened habitat to be saved for future generations of birds and people."

Seeking Refuge: Birds and Landscapes of the Pacific Flyway

Robert M. Wilson

2010

"Each fall and spring, millions of birds travel the Pacific Flyway, the westernmost of the four major North American bird migration routes. The landscapes they cross vary from wetlands to farmland to concrete, inhabited not only by wildlife but also by farmers, suburban families, and major cities. In the twentieth century, farmers used the wetlands to irrigate their crops, transforming the landscape and putting migratory birds at risk. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service responded by establishing a series of refuges that stretched from northern Washington to southern California. What emerged from these efforts was a hybrid environment, where the distinctions between irrigated farms and wildlife refuges blurred. Management of the refuges was fraught with conflicting priorities and practices. Farmers and refuge managers harassed birds with shotguns and flares to keep them off private lands, and government pilots took to the air, dropping hand grenades among flocks of geese and herding the startled birds into nearby refuges. Such actions masked the growing connections between refuges and the land around them. "Seeking Refuge" examines the development and management of refuges in the wintering range of migratory birds along the Pacific Flyway. Although this is a history of efforts to conserve migratory birds, the story Robert Wilson tells has considerable salience today. Many of the key places migratory birds use - the Klamath Basin, California's Central Valley, the Salton Sea - are sites of recent contentious debates over water use. Migratory birds connect and depend on these landscapes, and farmers face pressure as water is reallocated from irrigation to other purposes."

How Birds Migrate

Paul Kerlinger

Stackpole Books

2nd edition

2009

"In this revised and updated edition, Paul Kerlinger unravels the intricacies of migration. Using case studies and illustrations, he explains the basics of flight, the effects of weather and geographical barriers, and flight strategy. Readers will learn how fast and how high birds fly, how far they go in a day, and how they navigate. This fascinating guide on bird migration makes the latest scientific findings available to birders and nature-lovers alike. This is the first-ever revision of a classic guidebook. It offers information on migratory flight patterns, flight speed and distance, travel seasons, calls of migrating birds, and more. It includes case studies on migrating birds from around the world."

Wings and Rings: A History of Bird Migration Studies in Europe

Richard Vaughan

2009

The Migration of Birds: Seasons on the Wing

Janice M. Hughes

2009

"The Migration of Birds is a comprehensive illustrated presentation of the mysteries of bird migration. Ornithologist Janice M. Hughes describes the findings of the most recent research and surveys as-yet-unanswered questions. She unravels the exciting contributions of cutting-edge technological innovations and scientific developments. Over 70 stunning full-color photographs show some of the world's most dauntless voyagers. Maps show migration routes, and illustrations depict the mechanics of flying. The text is engaging and straightforward as well as authoritative and comprehensive."

Animal Migration

Gretel H. Schueller and Sheila K. Schueller

Animal Behavior series

2009

"Migration is one of the most fascinating and dramatic of all animal behaviors. From insects and birds to reindeer and giant whales, many animals fly, swim, walk, and even hitchhike in search of better food, milder climate, or suitable mate. Some cross entire oceans; a few even circle the globe. These marathon journeys animals take are filled with great tests of physical strength and endurance – as well as danger and sometimes death. In Animal Migration, learn why animals are compelled to migrate and the various patterns and cycles of their migrations."

Animal Migration: Remarkable Journeys by Air, Land and Sea

Ben Hoare

2009

"This spectacular guide explores the mysteries of animal migration over land, through oceans and by air. Lavishly illustrated with more than 300 colour photographs, maps, and illustrations, Animal Migration covers every continent as it traces the routes of 50 remarkable migrations - including those of polar bears, wildebeest, hummingbirds, iguanas, sharks and many others. There is an illustrated introduction that explains how migration works and why animals migrate, either as part of mass migrations or on individual journeys. It also describes the navigation, reproduction and feeding strategies of these animals, as well as discussing the growing threats facing migratory wildlife today. The three sections that follow look in detail at the most extraordinary voyages animals take across land, oceans and by air."

A Single Swallow: Following the Migration from South Africa to South Wales

Horatio Clare

2009

"A journey of 6,000 miles across two continents and fourteen countries is nothing to swallows: they do it twice a year. But for a writer and birdwatcher, this is the expedition of a lifetime. By trains, cars, buses, motorbikes, trucks, canoes, planes, one camel and three ships, Horatio Clare followed migrating swallows (Hirundo rustica) from reed beds outside Bloemfontein, where millions roost in February, to a barn in Wales, where a pair nest in May. From the slums of Cape Town to the palaces of Algiers, through Pygmy villages where pineapples grow wild, to the Gulf of Guinea where the sea blazes with oil flares, "A Single Swallow" is a journey through the modern world to the tune of an ancient rhythm. It is a story of old empires and modern tribes, of the horrors of power and the wonders of kindness. It includes a witch-doctor's recipe for stewed swallow, explains how to travel without money or a passport, describes a terrifying incident involving three Spanish soldiers and a tiny orange dog, betrays several swallow secrets and proves that Wales exists only because of Ryan Giggs. It also tests the wisdom of an ancient piece of hearsay: the Zulus say that those who follow the swallows never come back ...Magical, inspiring, beautifully written with passion and purpose, "A Single Swallow" is a thrilling book about the intersection of the natural and the human worlds, sending shivers down the spine and lifting the heart."

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The Migration Ecology of Birds

Ian Newton

Academic Press

2007

"This book presents an up-to-date, detailed and thorough review of the most fascinating ecological findings of bird migration. It deals with all aspects of this absorbing subject, including the problems of navigation and vagrancy, the timing and physiological control of migration, the factors that limit their populations, and more. Author, Ian Newton, reveals the extraordinary adaptability of birds to the variable and changing conditions across the globe, including current climate change. This adventurous book places emphasis on ecological aspects, which have received only scant attention in previous publications. Overall, the book provides the most thorough and in-depth appraisal of current information available, with abundant tables, maps and diagrams, and many new insights. Written in a clear and readable style, this book appeals not only to migration researchers in the field and Ornithologists, but to anyone with an interest in this fascinating subject."

Atlas of Bird Migration: Tracing the Great Journeys of the World's Birds

Jonathan Elphick

The Natural History Museum

2007

"How far can birds fly? Where do they go? And why? Follow one of nature's most enigmatic and breathtaking spectacles with the "Natural History Museum Atlas of Bird Migration". This fascinating and comprehensive book traces the world migration routes of over 100 species. An illustrated introduction explains flight techniques, feeding, biology and navigation including the amazing results of new satellite tracking. Additional sections focus on the current environmental threats to migratory species and conservation initiatives worldwide. A supplementary catalogue details the routes of 500 additional migrant bird species. With stunning maps and artwork throughout, this authoritative and up-to-date guide will captivate amateur bird watchers and nature enthusiasts alike. From cranes and cuckoos to wagtails and woodpeckers, this indispensable reference reveals the mysteries of these remarkable journeys."

Songbird Journeys: Four Seasons in the Lives of Migratory Birds

Miyoko Chu

2006

"Miyoko Chu explores the intricacies underlying the ebb and flow of migration, the cycle of seasons, and the interconnectedness between distant places. Songbird Journeys pays homage to the wonder and beauty of songbirds while revealing the remarkable lives of migratory birds and the scientific quest to answer age-old questions about where songbirds go, how they get there, and what they do in the far-flung places they inhabit throughout the year."

Migrating Raptors of the World: Their Ecology and Conservation

Keith L. Bildstein

2006

"Bildstein, whose knowledge of the phenomenon of raptor migration is comprehensive, provides an accessible account of the history, ecology, geography, science, and conservation aspects surrounding the migration of approximately two hundred species of raptors between their summer breeding sites and their wintering grounds. He summarizes current knowledge about how the birds' bodies handle the demands of long-distance migration and how they know where to go. Migrating Raptors of the World also includes the ecological and conservation stories of several of the world's most intriguing raptor migrants, including the Turkey Vulture, Osprey, Bald Eagle, Western Honey Buzzard, Northern Harrier, Grey-faced Buzzard, Steppe Buzzard, and Amur Falcon."

Patterns of Migratory Connectivity in Two Neararctic-Neotropical Songbirds: New Insights from Intrinsic Markers

Marylène Boulet and D. Ryan Norris

American Ornithologists' Union

2006

Contents:

• Introduction: The Past and Present of Migratory Connectivity
• Migratory Connectivity of a Widely Distributed Songbird, the American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla)
• Integrated Analysis of Genetic, Stable Isotope, and Banding Data Reveal Migratory Connectivity and Flyways in the Northern Yellow Warbler (Dendroica petechia; Aestiva group)
• Perspectives on Migratory Connectivity

Flyways: A Celebration of Waterfowl and Wetlands

Gary Kramer

2006

"Flying south in the fall and north in the spring, waterfowl have followed travel routes in the sky for centuries. These migrations are repeated year after year as ducks and geese pass from one region or climate to another for feeding or breeding. Wildlife biologists call these migration corridors flyways, and each flyway-Atlantic, Mississippi, Central, and Pacific-is as varied as the birds that inhabit them. This book is a photographic and informative journey across North America, from the Atlantic to the Pacific and from the tundra to the tropics, following the ebb and flow of waterfowl and other wildlife as they travel along these ancestral routes known as flyways."

Birdwatcher's Guide: Bird Migration

Dominic Couzens

2005

"From describing the many different types of bird migration to information on how to study and observe migration, all you need to know about this subject is included in this excellent book. The Orientation Mechanisms and Weather and Migration chapters reveal the amazing ways in which birds know how to travel vast distances without getting lost, and Great Journeys tells of the incredible feats of athleticism that birds such as Swallows, Arctic Terns and Eleonora's Falcons achieve when they fly for thousands of miles to reach their wintering grounds. The Migratory Table is a unique easy-reference chart that makes it simple to check the migratory habits of all birds that pass through the British Isles and Northern Europe. This book takes a birdwatcher's view of migration. It focuses on what a birder might see and experience and question. Information on where to see migrating birds or observe ringing is included, as is how to interpret the weather in terms of its impact on migration."

Bird Hormones and Bird Migrations: Analyzing Hormones in Droppings and Egg Yolks and Assessing Adaptations in Long-Distance Migration

Wolfgang Goymann, Susanne Jenni-Eirmann, and Ulf Bauchinger

2005

"The analysis of hormones in faeces or excrement presented in the first part of this volume is a relatively new non-invasive method for gaining insight into an animal's physiology. Endocrinological cycles of free-living animals can be studied without the stress caused by capture. Hence, this non-invasive technique may be helpful in a wide range of research fields relating to physiology, behavioural ecology, ethnology, and wildlife conservation. The reports presented in the second part of the volume expand the general understanding of migration over long distances. Three key issues in the search for adaptive syndromes are addressed: acquisition and use of endogenous resources, circadian rhythms, and adaptations in metabolism. The papers included in this volume will provide access to techniques and methods that will result in more reliable studies and more useful data."

Birds of Two Worlds: The Ecology and Evolution of Migration

Edited by Russell Greenberg and Peter P Marra

2005

"In Birds of Two Worlds Russell Greenberg and Peter Marra bring together the world's experts on avian migration to discuss its ecology and evolution. The contributors move the discussion of migration to a global stage, looking at all avian migration systems and delving deeper into the evolutionary foundations of migratory behavior. Readers interested in the biology, behavior, ecology, and evolution of birds have waited a decade to see a worthy successor to the earlier classics."

Migration of Birds

Frederick, C. Lincoln

2005

"Birds are adapted in their body structure and physiology to life in the air. Their feathered wings and tails, bones, lungs and air sacs, and their metabolic abilities all contribute to this amazing faculty. These adaptations make it possible for birds to seek out environments most favorable to their needs at different times of the year. This results in the marvelous phenomenon we know as migration - the regular, recurrent, seasonal movement of populations from one geographic location to another and back again."

Migratory Waterbirds And Climate Change: Effects Within The African-Eurasian Flyways

Ilya M.D. Maclean, Mark M. Rehfisch, Robert A. Robinson, Simon Delany

2005

Opening lines: "It is now unequivocal that our climate is warming. Increases in global temperatures, widespread melting of snow and ice and rising sea levels all point directly to a warmer planet. There is overwhelming evidence that humans are contributing to global warming. Most of the observed increase in temperatures since the mid-20th century is very likely to be due to the observed increase in greenhouse gas concentrations. Climate change is likely to affect all ecosystems, but wetlands are particularly vulnerable. Not only are they the world's most threatened ecosystem but their sensitivity to changes in water level make them especially susceptible to changes in precipitation or evapotranspiration."

Time to Fly: Exploring Bird Migration

Jim Flegg

2004

"In Time to Fly, the author Dr Jim Flegg OBE, former Director of the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) and a ringer of over 30,000 birds, captures the magic of migration among the birds in seven familiar habitats. He investigates when, why and how this frenetic activity takes place and the hazards that migrants may encounter on their often prodigious travels. Nearly one hundred maps illustrate the migratory journeys of birds as diverse as Manx Shearwaters and Chaffinches, House Martins and Cuckoos. Time to Fly is a fascinating read for birdwatchers, whether beginner or more expert, or indeed for anyone with an interest in one of the most striking marvels of nature."

"Time to Fly is an easy-to-read distillation of the key information from The Migration Atlas - Movements of the Birds of Britain & Ireland, published by T & A D Poyser on behalf of the BTO in 2002. Trying to capture the wonder of migration in 184 pages instead of 884 pages has been an enormous challenge."

Avian Navigation: Pigeon Homing as a Paradigm

Hans G. Wallraff

2004

"How migratory birds can navigate home from their wintering grounds to their breeding sites over hundreds and thousands of kilometres has been an admired mystery over more than a century. Profound advances towards a solution of this problem have been achieved with a model bird, the homing pigeon. This monograph summarizes our current knowledge about pigeon homing, about the birds' application of a sun compass and a magnetic compass, of a visual topographical map within a familiar area and - most surprisingly - of an olfactory map using atmospheric chemosignals as indicators of position in distant unfamiliar areas."

Saving Migrant Birds: Developing Strategies for the Future

J. Faaborg

2003

"Looking back over more than a decade of efforts to save migrant birds, John Faaborg offers the first serious evaluation of the state of songbird populations today, the effectiveness of conservation programs such as Partners in Flight, and the reliability and completeness of scientific research on migrant birds. Taking neither an alarmist nor a complacent approach, he shows that many factors besides habitat loss affect bird populations and that Neotropical migrants as a group are not declining dramatically, though some species adapt to habitat alteration more successfully than others. Faaborg's state-of-the-art survey thus clarifies the kinds of information we will need and the conservation efforts we should undertake to ensure the long-term survival of Neotropical migrant birds."

Taking Flight: Journeys of Migration

Guilhem Lesaffre

2003

"Every year thousands of birds make incredible journeys to migrating sites and this beautifully illustrated book addresses how they make this journey. Photography includes storks crossing the Straits of Gibralter, birds of prey, and cranes leaving Scandinavian fog to reach the heat of North Africa."

Winged Migration

Jacques Perrin

2003

"This book offers a bird's-eye view of five continents and a grand, yet intimate, portrait of the secret life of birds."

The Migration Atlas: Movements of the Birds of Britain and Ireland

C. Wernham, M. Toms, J. Marchant, J. Clark, G. Siriwardena and S. Baillie

Poyser

2002

"Using a vast amount of data that the British Trust for Ornithology have collected from ringing recoveries, this title presents detailed and up-to-date information on bird migration. Since the ringing programme began in 1909, there have been around half a million recoveries of birds ringed in the UK. The data yielded have enabled the BTO to build up a picture of the movements of around 200 migratory species, and this book presents that information in a clear and concise format."

Avian Migration

Editors: P Berthold, E Gwinner and E Sonnenschein

2002

"The reader of this comprehensive presentation benefits from an outstanding overview of all aspects of the fascinating phenomenon of bird migration. The book is written by leading experts from around the world. The text summarises reviews and discussions of the most recent hypotheses. In doing so, it covers the entire research field from phenomenology through to ecology, physiology, control mechanisms, orientation, evolutionary aspects and conservation measures. It also examines the most modern methodological approaches including, satellite tracking, molecular techniques or stable isotope investigations and envisages forthcoming developments in the course of global warming."

Bird Migration: A General Survey

Peter Berthold

2001 (2nd edition)

"Ten years have passed since the first edition of this book. During that time the field of bird migration has experienced many advances which are reflected in this second edition. No other book exists to bring together the vast amount of information currently available on the subject of bird migration. Includes discussion of evolution and history of bird migration, physiology, orientation mechanisms and threats to migrations and is accessible to experts as well as amateurs."

Contents: Introduction; Evolution, genetic basis, and extent of bird migration; History of bird migration studies; Current methods of studying bird migration; The phenomena of bird migration; Physiological bases and control of bird migration; Orientation mechanisms; Synopsis: course and control of migration of a typical long-distance migrant passerine; Threats and the conservation and future of migrants; Evolutionary aspects of bird migration in the future; The significance of bird migration for human society; Outlook.

Stopover Ecology of Nearctic-Neotropical Landbird Migrants: Habitat Relations and Conservation Implications

Editors: F. R. Moore

Cooper Ornithological Society

2000

The contents are as follows.

• Preface - Frank R. Moore
• Application of Spatial Models to the Stopover Ecology of Trans-Gulf Migrants - Theodore R. Simons, Scott M. Pearson, and Frank R. Moore
• Habitat Use by Landbirds Along Nearctic-Neotropical Migration Routes: Implications for Conservation of Stopover Habitats - Daniel R. Petit
• Mechanisms of En Route Habitat Selection: How Do Migrants Make Habitat Decisions During Stopover? - Frank R. Moore and David A. Aborn
• Age-Dependent Aspects of Stopover Biology of Passerine Migrants - Mark S. Woodrey
• Behavioral, Energetic, and Conservation Implications of Foraging Plasticity During Migration - Jeffrey David Parrish
• Disruption and Restoration of En Route Habitat, a Case Study: The Chenier Plain - Wylie C. Barrow, Jr., Chao-Chieh Chen, Robert B. Hamilton, Keith Ouchley, and Terry J. Spengler
• Landbird Migration in Riparian Habitats of the Middle Rio Grande: A Case Study - Deborah M. Finch and Wang Yong
• Conservation of Landbird Migrants: Addressing Local Policy - Sarah E. Mabey and Bryan D. Watts
• On the Importance of En Route Periods to the Conservation of Migratory Landbirds - Richard L. Hutto
• Literature cited

Gatherings of Angels: Migrating Birds and Their Ecology

Editor: Kenneth P. Able

1999

"Gatherings of Angels offers first-hand accounts by leading experts in avian migration who convey not only the biology but also a sense of the beauty and excitement that attend this most extraordinary of natural spectacles. The book features 24 pages of colour photographs with additional black-and-white photographs throughout. Two chapters of background information on migration precede chapters that focus on different species or groups of birds and the localities essential to their survival - from the spring flights of songbirds across the Gulf of Mexico to the massing of sandhill cranes on the Platte River. The authors discuss the timing of migrant travel; the routes followed; and the concentration of birds in stop-over sites, locations that must be preserved if they are to have secure resting spots with fresh water and ample food to fuel their journey."

Living on the Wind: Across the Hemisphere with Migratory Birds

Scott Weidensaul

1999

"Scott Weidensaul follows hawks over the Mexican coastal plains, Bar-tailed Godwits that hitchhike on gale winds 7,000 miles nonstop across the Pacific from Alaska to New Zealand, and the Myriad Songbirds whose numbers have dwindled so dramatically in recent years."

Migration and Survival of the Birds of Asia

H Elliott McClure

1998

"Contains information on 724 bird species from East, Southeast and South Asia. Bird longevity and migrations are indicated by banding and returns collected during an eleven-year period, from 1963 until 1974. The study of bird movements and their external parasites covers eleven countries and thirteen field stations. Anyone interested in the distribution, movement, or survival of the birds of Asia or of the Northern Hemisphere will find this study an invaluable reference work."

Migration: The Biology of Life on the Move

Hugh Dingle

1996

"Migration is one of the most fascinating and dramatic of all animal behaviours. Historically, study of migration has been fragmented, with ornithologists, entomologists, and marine biologists working only within their own field. This critical synthetic treatment of the subject shows how comparisons across taxa can illuminate migratory life cycles and the relation of migration to other movements. The book takes an integrated ecological perspective to focus on migration as a biological phenomenon."

How Birds Migrate

Paul Kerlinger

1995

"Here, in an instructive and engaging style, researcher Paul Kerlinger unravels the intricacies and wonders of migration. Using case studies and illustrations, he explains the basics of flight, the effects of weather and geographical barriers, and flight strategy. Learn how fast and how high birds fly, how far they go in a day, and how they navigate. This fascinating when, where, why, and how of birds migration makes the latest scientific findings available to birders and nature lovers."

Control of Bird Migration

Peter Berthold

1995

"This volume summarizes the enormous wealth of data and hypotheses elaborated in the huge research field of control mechanisms in bird migration. Topics covered include: control systems and ecophysiology; and current microevolutionary processes."

Collins Atlas of Bird Migration

Jonathan Elphick

1995

This atlas traces the migratory paths of more than 100 bird species from both the Northern and Southern hemispheres. In addition to this a further 500 migratory species are catalogued, with details of their routes.

The Ecology of Migrant Birds: A Neotropical Perspective

John H. Rappole

1995

"Incorporating new information on migratory birds, most gathered within the past decade, this comprehensive synthesis is the first book to explore migration principally from the perspective of the tropical, or nonbreeding, portion of the migrant life cycle."

Ecology and Management of Neotropical Migratory Birds: A Synthesis and Review of Critical Issues

Editors: Thomas E. Martin and Deborah M. Finch

1995

"An ambitious, comprehensive assessment of the current status of neotropical migratory birds in the USA, and the methods and strategies for conserving migrant populations. This book covers the full scope of the subject, with chapters reviewing and assessing the topics written as consensus documents by several of the leading workers. Contents include population trends, seasonal variations, habitat requirements during migration, impacts and effects of silviculture and agricultural practices, landscape ecology, habitat grazing effects, and single-species versus multiple-species approaches.

Migrants and Migration

Peter Holden and Mike Langman

Hamlyn

1994

"A factual and informative guide explaining how and why birds migrate and the dangers they face en route, with projects, colour photographs and artwork in a title from the Hamlyn Young Ornithologists' Guides, published in association with the RSPB."

Bird Migration

Thomas Alerstam

Cambridge University Press

1993

"The aim of this book is to give an overview of the whole migration phenomenon. The first of the three main sections presents the life histories and migratory habits of nine different ecological categories of birds. The second section investigates the course and timing of flight journeys, flight behaviour, fuel economy, flocking, and the hazards from disorientation and predation. The final section covers bird navigation."

Status and Management of Neotropical Migratory Birds

Deborah M. Finch, Peter W. Stangel

U.S. Department of Agriculture

1993

Abstract: "This proceedings is the product of a National Training Workshop held at the Estes Park Center, Estes Park, Colorado, 21-25 September, 1992. Invited papers discuss all aspects of management, monitoring, and conservation of neotropical migratory birds on the breeding grounds. The proceedings is divided into seven sections that range from philosophical discussions to methods and solutions for managing migratory birds in concert with other wildlife."

Animal Homing and Migration through Biogeomagnetic Beaming

Major J. Huber

1993

Subtitle: A revealing study into animal orientation phenomena as induced lateral directional equilibrium reflex

Bird Migration

R. Burton

1992

"This book surveys methods used to study bird migration and explores navigation, fuel economy, migration hazards, wintering areas, and return to breeding grounds."

Aurum Press edition

Buy from amazon.co.uk

Facts On File edition

The Ecology and Conservation of Palaearctic-African Migrants

Editors: H.Q.P. Crick and P.J. Jones

1992

Papers from the Conference organised by the British Ornithologists' Union, British Trust for Ornithology, and International Council for Bird Preservation, 4-7 April 1991, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK. Contents: The breeding grounds; migration; the wintering grounds; populations.

Ecology and Conservation of Neotropical Migrant Landbirds

Editor J.M. Hagan and D.W. Johnston

1992

"It has been recognised now for more than a decade that migrant landbird populations in North America have been declining. Fragmentation of forests on the northern breeding grounds, and habitat loss in tropical wintering zones are thought to be the main reasons. Based on the work of over a hundred ornithologists, this is the first book to address this major conservation issue, and brings together a wealth of data on species ecology factors affecting populations."

Conserving Migratory Birds

Editor: T Salathé

BirdLife International

1991

"Presents a wide range of examples of ICBP's migratory birds conservation projects along the West Palaearctic - Africa, America, and Asian - Australasian flyways, and assesses the achievements of the last 15 years. With contributions from all those involved in the projects, it provides an overview of the problems faced by migratory birds, from habitat loss to human persecution, and sets the framework for future conservation work to protect migrants and their threatened habitats worldwide."

An Artist On Migration

Bruce Pearson

1991

"In 1984 Bruce Pearson, famous for his paintings in the book "A Countryside in Winter", came to Collins with an idea. He would pack his studio into his rucksack and follow the migrating birds of Europe from the high Arctic to tropical Africa. As a painter, writer and ornithologist he was the ideal person to carry out this idea. This book is the result of his journey. During his travels, Bruce Pearson has visited all the major areas used by the birds in summer and winter; the wastes of Greenland and its birds that must synchronize their breeding perfectly or risk the hazard of freezing in the early onset of winter; the Ouse Washes of England, home to winter visitors from the high Arctic; and the sub-Saharan landscape where many of Europe's birds spend the winter and have suffered from the drought currently threatening all wildlife in the area. He has also stopped off at some of the bird's staging posts; he sees the huge flocks of waders on the marshes of Britain and Europe as they stop to replenish supplies on their journey; the flocks of wheeling birds of prey over the Bosphorus, crossing from one continent to the other by the shortest possible route; and the sight of waves of tiny migrants heading out over the open Mediterranean or taking on the vast and inhospitable Sahara. And as he moves to and from through Europe and Africa, he constantly meets the same species; ospreys in Denmark, Spain and Africa; wheatears and yellow wagtails almost everywhere, dunlin in the Arctic and in Africa, all journeying through Europe in search of perpetual summer. Bruce Pearson has brought together images of the countries he visited - the book is illustrated with over 180 of his colour paintings - evoking in words the story behind the extraordinary annual journey made by the birds of Europe."

Bird Migration: Physiology and Ecophysiology

Editor: E. Gwinner

1991

"This multi-author volume reviews the present state of knowledge about the physiology and ecophysiology of migratory birds. Main aspects are patterns of migration, ecological and behavioural aspects of migration, physiological adaptations to migration, bird flight, and strategies and tactics of migration. Based on papers presented during a symposium, Bird Migration offers both students and senior scientists a comprehensive survey."

Orientation In Birds

Editor: P. Berthold

1991

"Research on avian orientation and navigation problems ia carried out in many institutes around the world and the body of evidence is rapidly growing. However the answer to the most pressing question of how displaced birds can reorient themselves rapidly and subsequently navigate successfully to their home area continues to puzzle us. It is no wonder that a vast amount of research has been targeted towards developing adequate hypotheses and theories, and applying ingenious experiments with a view to solving the problem. This book treats all aspects of avian orientation research in 14 contributions from the highly sophisticated methods applied through mechanisms, to the sensory basis and theoretical concepts."

Where Have All the Birds Gone? Essays on the Biology and Conservation of Birds That Migrate to the American Tropics

John Terborgh

1989

"Terborgh takes a more comprehensive view of migratory birds than is usual - by asking how they spend their lives during the half-year they reside in the tropics. By scrutinizing ill-planned urban and suburban development in the United States and the tropical deforestation of Central and South America, he summarizes our knowledge of the subtle combination of circumstances that is devastating our bird populations. This work is pervaded by Terborgh's love for the thrushes, warblers, vireos, cuckoos, flycatchers, and tanagers that inhabited his family's woodland acreage while he was growing upbirds that no longer live there, in spite of the preservation of those same woods as part of a county park. The book is a tour of topics as varied as ecological monitoring, the plight of the Chesapeake wetlands, the survival struggle of Central American subsistence farmers, and the management of commercial forests."

Bird Migration

Chris Mead

1983 / 1987

An introduction to bird migration.

Avian Navigation

Editor: F. Papi and H.G. Wallraff

1982

"Experimental work on migratory birds raises many difficulties, some of them insuperable, so that many researchers carry out their experiments on the homing pigeon, which is constantly motivated by homesickness and ready to display its ability to flyaway home. Many of the problems connected with bird navigation are still unsolved, but a rapidly growing body of results is being produced along with a variety of new ideas and approaches. A clear majority of the students of bird navigation met in September 1981 in Tirrenia, a seaside resort on the Tyrrhenian coast, where each of them offered new insights into his or her recent investigations. Their contributions have been collected in this volume, which provides an up-to-date conspectus of the stage reached by research in this field."

Seasonal Movements of Summer Migrants

N. Riddiford and P. Findley

British Trust for Ornithology

1981

"This guide clearly presents the timing of main immigration and emigration to and from Britain with accounts of 38 species."

Bird Migration in Africa, Volume 1 & 2

Kai Curry-Lindahl

1981

Published in two volumes.

Animal Migration, Orientation and Navigation

Editor: Sidney A. Jr. Gauthreaux

1981

Avian Orientation and Navigation

Klaus Schmidt-Koenig

1979

Migration Of Birds

Frederick C. Lincoln

Associate editor: Peter A. Anastasi

Illustrations: Bob Hines

Circular 16

Fish & Wildlife Service, US Department Of The Interior

1979

From the preface: "Frederick C. Lincoln's classic work on the "Migration of Birds" first appeared in 1935. It was revised in 1950 and has been out of print for several years, after selling over 140,000 copies. Unfilled requests by many individuals, clubs, and institutions prompted the Office of Conservation Education (now the Office of Public Affairs) in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to petition another update for reissue. This publication incorporates the results gathered by research biologists in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to meet these requests. Lincoln's original intent was to present to the American public a summary of the facts on bird migration as they existed in the early 1930's. He wrote with a style that made the topic fascinating to the young and old, to the educated and uninformed, and to the ardent observer as well as the backyard watcher. An attempt has been made to retain this style, while incorporating material from often highly technical research efforts. Much of the content and organization of the original publication has been maintained, but new sections were added to incorporate recent concepts and techniques. Other concepts, known to be inconsistent with present knowledge, have been deleted. Because graphics are of utmost importance in this type of publication, most of the original figures were preserved and, where appropriate, new illustrations have been added."

Bird Navigation: The Solution of a Mystery?

R. Robin Baker

1976

"The author, in the light of recent discoveries, explores the view held by some leading ornithologists that the mystery of bird navigation over thousands of kilometres has been solved. A bibliography provides references that demonstrate the sequence by which theories are developed."

Bird Migration

Donald R. Griffin

1974

An amended reprint of the 1964 edition.

Ocean Wanderers, The Migratory Sea Birds of the World

R.M. Lockley

David & Charles

1974

168 pages with 8 colour plates and many b/w illustrations and maps. Includes a bibliography.

Population Ecology of Migratory Birds: A Symposium

Roy E. Tomlinson et al

Bureau Of Sport Fisheries & Wildlife Service

U.S. Department of Interior

1972

Papers from a symposium held at the Migratory Bird Populations Station, Laurel, Maryland on 9-10 October 1969

From the foreword: "The vicissitudes of migratory birds in this day of advanced technology provide one of the more sensitive barometers of environmental conditions. These birds also provide large amounts of recreation, both consumptive (hunting) and nonconsumptive (bird watching, etc.). With deteriorating environmental conditions and expanding hunting pres- sures, it is important that population dynamics of the various species be understood. This understanding is necessary if management programs to maintain populations at optimum levels are to be effective and if maximum benefits are to be obtained from the resource. Population dynamics must also be understood before the rise and fall in the abundance of various species can be used as measures of environmental conditions."

The Palaearctic-African Bird Migration Systems

R.E. Moreau

1972

Bird Navigation

G.V.Y. Matthews

2nd edition

1968

"Many species of birds travel thousands of miles from their breeding grounds to their winter quarters, to return again the following spring. How do they find their way? How is it that young and inexperienced birds are able to travel independently of their parents and still reach their destination? The first edition of Dr Matthews' monograph, published in 1955, summarised the experimental work which had been done up until that time and this second edition has built upon that important contribution, with extensive changes. Several developments are described, namely, the discovery that birds can orientate with reference to star patterns, the use of radar to follow migration by night as well as by day, and the attachment of miniature radio-transmitters to birds so that their individual flights can be followed. A new class of unexplained 'nonsense' orientation is also brought to light."

Checkerback's Journey: The Migration of the Ruddy Turnstone

Marjorie Bartlett Sanger

World Publishing Company

1969

Bird Migration: The Biology and Physics of Orientation Behaviour

Donald R. Griffin

Heinemann

1965

Birds Around the World: A Geographical Look at Evolution and Birds

Dean Amadon

1966

Bird Migration

Donald R. Griffin

1964

Migration Of Birds

Janusz Domaniewski

1964

Originally published in Polish in 1958'

The Migration Of Birds

Jean Dorst

1962

First published in French in 1956 by Payot.

Guideposts Of Animal Navigation

Archie Carr

American Institute Of Biological Sciences

1962

Down The Long Wind

Garth Christian

1961

A study of bird migration.

Bird Migrants: Some aspects and observations

Eric Simms

1952

212 pages. Photographs by Eric Hosking.

Migration Of Birds

Frederick C. Lincoln

1952

The Story of Migration

E.A.R. Ennion

1947

100 pages with many line drawings.

Bird Migration

A. Landsborough Thomson

H F & G Witherby Ltd

Revised edition

1945

Bird Migration: Short Account

A. Landsborough Thomson

1936

The Migration Of North American Birds

Frederick C. Lincoln

Circular No. 363

US Department of Agriculture

1935

From the introduction:

Where do the birds go each fall that have nested in our dooryards and frequented the neighboring woods, hills, and marshes? Will the same ones return again to their former haunts next spring? What dangers do they face on their round-trip flight and in their winter homes? These and other questions on the migratory habits of birds puzzle the minds of many who are interested in the feathered species, whether it be the farmer who profits by their tireless warfare against the weed and insect pests of his crops, the bird student who enjoys an abundance and variety of feathered inhabitants about him, or the hunter who wants a continuation from year to year of the sport of wild-fowling. Lack of information on the subject may mean the loss of an important resource by unconsciously letting it slip from us. Ignorance of the facts may be responsible for inadequate legal protection for such species as may urgently need it. More general knowledge on the subject will aid in the perpetuation of the various migrants, the seasonal habitats of some of which are in grave danger from man's utilization, sometimes unwisely, of the marsh, water, and other areas they formerly frequented.

Traveling With The Birds: A Book On Bird Migration

Rudyerd Boulton

M.A. Donohue & Company

1933

The Riddle of Migration

William Rowan

1931

From the introduction: "Biological problems can be approached from a number of angles. The specialist views them through the glasses that he habitually wears, with his special interests magnified and in the foreground, a profitable proceeding but likely to suffer from distorted perspective. The gathering up of the viewpoints of the various specialists is a certain way of restoring proportions and arriving at a comprehensive and at the same time an analytical picture of the whole. The migrations of birds have been a subject of interest for centuries. They have been examined from two avenues of approach. One of them has been worn wide and smooth: the other remains almost untrodden. Field observations and speculations based thereon exist in sufficient volume to fill a library, but few and far between are the attempts of the technically trained biologist - the anatomist, biochemist, biophysicist, physiologist, etc. - to apply his special knowledge to the problem."

The Migration Of Birds

Alexander Wetmore

1927

Preface: "The observations on the migration of birds presented in the following pages were delivered in six lectures before the Lowell Institute in Boston on October 26 and 28, and November 2, 4, 16 and 18, 1925. The manuscript as here published is unchanged except for the inclusion of a few paragraphs that time did not permit to be presented during the course of the lectures. The material included is based on study and observation on the part of the author during a period of more than twenty years. It is intended as a summary of present knowledge of migration, with the various factors that affect it in its broader aspects, without entering upon precise statistics of movement for the many species involved. Such figures may be left for treatises of another character. After careful consideration of the subject the writer is profoundly impressed by the mass of detail regarding the movements of birds that has been assembled and the little that has been definitely ascertained regarding the underlying principles that control migration. There is much that remains to be established in this phase of the subject. In conclusion the author desires to express appreciation to the Bureau of Biological Survey, United States Department of Agriculture, for permission to reproduce plates from its publications, and to the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, for the privilege of reprinting a map by Mr. H. S. Swarth to show the distribution of fox sparrows. Mr. Gregory Mathews, the well-known authority on Australian birds, has read the sections dealing with Australia, and I am indebted to other friends for suggestions.

The Problems Of Bird Migration

A. Landsborough Thomson

1926

Bird Migration

Wells W. Cooke

United States Department of Agriculture

1915

From the introduction: "The mystery of bird migration has proved a fascinating subject for speculation and study from earliest times. Long ago it was noticed that birds disappeared in fall and reappeared in spring, but, not knowing where they spent the intervening period, many fanciful theories were advanced to account for their disappearance, as hibernation in hollow trees or in the mud of streams or ponds. Within the century stories were current of whole flocks that were seen to disappear beneath the waves of the Mediterranean to winter hi its depths. With later years, however, has come a fuller knowledge of migration, especially of the particular region hi which each species passes the cold season, and more definite information in regard to the routes followed in the spring and fall journeys. But fuller knowledge has served to increase rather than to lessen interest in the subject."

The Travels Of Birds: Our Birds And Their Journeys To Strange Lands

Frank M. Chapman

1915

Example text:

When we consider the great distances some birds travel and the dangers they encounter by the way, it is remarkable that they usually arrive on time. That the daily trips to and from the roost should be made regularly is not surprising. The birds have only a short way to go, and they leave soon after daybreak and return just before dark. But when, year after year, the Bobolink, the Baltimore Oriole, the midget Humming-bird, many Warblers and other birds arrive from journeys thousands of miles in length on exactly or nearly the same day, we ask how they can possibly be so prompt. In order to answer this question we must know something about the birds' time-table. Anyone who has studied the birds about his home for many years can make a time-table giving the dates of the arrival and departure of all the migratory birds which visit him. In this time-table we will notice that the early birds those which come in March are much less prompt than the later ones those which come in May. This is because the weather of March is so much more uncertain than that of May. In some years, near New York City, snow covers the ground and the ponds are frozen almost until April. In others, the snow melts and the ice disappears before the middle of March. But by May i, the weather is more settled. The first week in May of one year is much like the first week in May of another year.

Distribution And Migration Of North American Herons And Their Allies

Wells W. Cooke

Biological Survey Bulletin 45

US Department of Agriculture

Government Printing Office

1913

From the introduction:

The herons have attracted wide attention during late years, particularly because of the earnest efforts that have been made to prevent the utter destruction of the aigrette-bearing members of the family. The horrors necessarily attending the collection of the aigrettes have aroused bird lovers to unprecedented activity. As a result, in some parts of the Union stringent laws have been enacted, and the State machinery for bird preservation has been supplemented by large private subscriptions. Probably no family of birds ever had fuller protection on the statute books than is now enjoyed by the herons, while certainly no birds have ever been the recipients of more zealous care than is now accorded to the remaining colonies of the larger and smaller egrets. The friends of the birds became aroused none too soon. The large breeding colonies of egrets have been completely destroyed, and only a few scattered remnants exist to serve as centers for reestablishing the species.

The Migration Of Birds

T.A. Coward

1912

From the preface: "Any attempt to elucidate the problems connected with the Migration of Birds must, in the present state of knowledge, contain some theory and speculation, but the dihgent observations of an army of careful workers yearly add facts, which though they may appear insignificant when considered alone, tend in the aggregate to confirm or repudiate the conclusions of past workers. I have endeavoured to bring together some of the more important theories, and to give prominence to ascertained facts; I have also striven to check desire on my own part to wander into realms of pure speculation, though conscious that I have not always evidence to support my suggestions."

Studies In Bird Migration, Volumes I & II

William Eagle Clarke

1912

From the preface: "These studies are offered as contributions to what has ever been an attractive branch of the science of ornithology. They are the result of many years' personal observations and researches, during which exceptional opportunities have been afforded me for acquiring special knowledge of the subject."

Distribution And Migration Of North American Warblers

Wells W. Cooke

US Department of Agriculture

Government Printing Office

1904

From the introduction:

The warblers are birds of wide distribution. They occur in summer in greater or less abundance over nearly the whole of North America except the arid lands of the Southwest and the Barren Grounds of the far North. Though of small size they are brightly colored, and during the migrations they come in such numbers, both of species and individuals, that they often form the most conspicuous part of a bird wave, and their return is awaited with eagerness by students of migration. In spring the lover of the beautiful finds among them brilliant colors in multiple variety; the practiced ear is taxed to distinguish their faint songs dropping from the tree tops; and the experienced ornithologist feels a pleasurable excitement in scanning each individual of the passing host as he seeks the rarity that will more than repay the time spent in the search.

The Migration Of Birds

F.B. Whitlock

1897

Preface: "Migration has, to me, always proved the most fascinating feature of bird hfe. I therefore looked forward to the appearance of Herr Gatke's long-expected work with the greatest interest. On its first perusal, the novelty of the author's statements greatly impressed me, and after careful study I found them very difficult of acceptance. I then formed the plan of writing a paper to one of the current ornithological journals, calling attention to what I considered were the principal objections. I soon found, however, that the subject was too great for this to be practicable. After some hesitation I decided to publish this little work on my own responsibility. To prevent misconception, I must here state that the first draft of my manuscript was completed before I saw Mr, W. Eagle Clarke's "Digest of the Reports on Migration;" and though I was glad of the opportunity the latter gave me of strengthening my arguments, it must be understood that where our conclusions are identical, they have been arrived at quite independently of one another. In writing my commentary I hope I have succeeded in guarding against any expression at all likely to convey the idea that I hold any feelings towards Herr Gatke but those of the warmest admiration and respect. My sole aim has been to place the other side of the question before my readers, to the best of my ability."

The Migration Of Birds

Charles Dixon

1892

From the preface:

"There is no branch of Ornithology more popular than that which treats of the Migration of Birds. To the genuine lover of birds there is no more fascinating pursuit than to watch the comings and the goings of his favourites; to the more scientific ornithologist Migration is not only an intensely interesting proceeding in itself, but a function fraught with importance in the History of Avian Life. In many instances it is an indicating medium of affinities, an explanation of various apparent anomalies in geographical distribution, and unquestionably an evidence of those vast physical changes which have been one of the dominating features of our planet's history in past ages. Notwithstanding the immense popularity and importance of Migration, strange as it may seem, no work has hitherto been devoted expressly to its discussion, A very large amount of material bearing on Migration has been recorded, and an equally large amount of observations has been made on this grand Avian Movement, but hitherto, so far as I am aware, no naturalist has endeavoured to grapple with the entire Phenomenon, or to record the result of its general study in book form, I am well aware of Palmen's endeavours, of Gatke's efforts, but both these distinguished naturalists have only dwelt upon a portion of the subject. I am equally cognizant of the researches of Weissemann, Harvie-Brcwn, Cordeaux, Seebohm, Coues, and Allen, and a host of others; yet none have sought to exhaust the subject, even superficially, or to bring our present knowledge of Migration within the limits of order, or to reduce it to Law."

Report On Bird Migration In The Mississippi Valley In The Years 1884 And 1885

W.W. Cooke

US Department of Agriculture

Government Printing Office

1888

From the prefatory letter:

The present report, which has been prepared by Prof. W. W. Cooke, with the assistance of Mr. Otto Widinann and Prof. D. E. Lantz, is the first fruit of the co-operative labors of the Division of Economic Ornithology of the Department of Agriculture and the Committee on Bird Migration of the American Ornithologists' Union. It consists of two parts: (1) an introductory portion treating of the history and methods of the work, together with a general study of the subject of Bird Migration, including the influence of the weather upon the movements of birds, the progression of bird waves and causes affecting the same, the influence of topography and altitude upon migration, and the rates of flight in the various species; and (2) a systematic portion in which the five hundred and sixty species of birds known to occur in the Mississippi Valley are treated serially, the movements of each during the seasons of 1884 and 1885 being traced with as much exactness as the records furnished by the one hundred and seventy observers in the district permit.